Over 2.6 million Romanians living in urban areas are saving more money, with the average amount saved monthly registering a growth this year of 30 percent on 2011, to EUR 116, according toa  study carried out by Romanian professional research firm IRSOP in August and September.

In 2010, the average amount saved was EUR 85 each month and the savings rate stood at 6 percent. Also the occasional saving (every 2-3 months) had a share of 13 percent in 2010, but reached 24 percent this year.

According to the study, about 1.1 million Romanians are interested in becoming clients of a saving-lending system over the next 12 months. Out of these 264,000 customers are interested in credit, with an average amount needed for home improvements projects being EUR 14,237.

Thus, the expected investments for housing over the next 12 months through saving-lending system amounts to about EUR 3.7 billion, of which customer deposits will represents EUR 1.5 billion.

According to the survey, about 4.7 million Romanians want to make housing improvements in the next five years and more than 2.6 million of them aim to make these investments over the next 12 months. Emergency plans include renovation, insulation and plumbing or electrical work. In the long term, the respondents intend to renovate houses in the countryside or to buy a house.

The survey was carried out in urban areas on people aged between 20  to 65, representing 6.9 million people, The margin of error is plus/minus 2.8 percent.

Ioana Toader, ioana.toader@romania-insider.com

(photo source: sxc.hu)